Controllable prosthetic devices for replacement of amputated or damaged limbs, such as hands, arms, legs, feet, and/or the like, have long been desirable, for example in order to improve quality of life for amputees. However, based at least in part on the amount of body tissue that is no longer present, control of such devices has often been rudimentary and/or poorly aligned to natural human movement.
For example, prior approaches for prosthetic ankle control have placed pressure sensors and force sensing resistors on the prosthetic foot to measure ground reaction forces. However, because of the number of steps and repeated kinetic shock, the force sensing resistors are not able to withstand the forces at the foot; they tend to break or the signal drifts over time.
Additionally, prior approaches have included using electromyography (EMG) and fine wire EMG sensors inside a prosthetic socket to determine muscle activation. However, the socket is often wet from perspiration, and the residual limb typically “pistons” up and down in the socket, so EMG sensor placement has been difficult and the resulting EMG readings are highly variable, making them poorly suited for use in prosthetic control. Accordingly, improved systems and methods for prosthetic control remain desirable.